BANGLADESH

Sugarcane farmers have staged a human-chain protest at Darshana of Damurhuda Upazila in Chuadanga demanding the increased price for their produce.

The farmers registered their protest at Darshana bus stand around 11am on Saturday. Vehicular movement on the Chuadanga-Jibannagar Highway remained suspended for around an hour during the programme. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the sugar mill officials.

Mohammad Abdul Hannan, president of the district unit Sugarcane Farmers' Welfare Association, at the programme said that currently the price of per mound sugarcane at the mill gates is Tk 83 while it is Tk 81 in the market.

"Most of the sugarcane farmers will start cultivating other crops in their lands, if no announcement comes within two to four days to increase sugarcane price," he warned.

The farmers submitted the memorandum to Ali Kadar, general manager (agriculture) of Carew & Company Bangladesh Limited, the largest sugar mill of the country, around 12pm.

In the memorandum, the farmers demanded that the price of per mound sugarcane be increased by Tk 67 and fixed at Tk 150 from the current price of Tk 83.

Ali Kadar told reporters: "The demands of the farmers are logical. It will be a blessing for the farmers if the government makes announcement to increase sugarcane price."